Football Outsiders: Wait Till Next Year
March 29th, 2023
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
The guys over at Football Outsiders are awfully harsh on the Bucs during free agency season. But, they add, be ready to party in 2024.
While the crew confesses the Bucs didn’t have much Team Glazer loot to fully rebuild the Bucs to be a Super Bowl contender this fall, they do believe Bucs fans should watch out: Armed with vaults of Team Glazer loot in 2024, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht will have the Bucs back on track.
Football Outsiders went through each team’s free agency season.
Improved Roster: F
Used Resources Well: C+
Coherent Plan: A
Overall Grade: CThat’s the area in which the Buccaneers find themselves after Tom Brady’s retirement. (It’s actually $74,566,702 if you want to get pedantic.) That’s nearly $20 million more than the next-highest team (Philadelphia), and about $12 million more than the Falcons had last year after trading Matt Ryan. Brady alone accounts for over $35 million of that sum, a total matched by only four other teams this season. Donovan Smith, Lavonte David, Leonard Fournette, Akiem Hicks, and Shaq Mason are also each contributing at least $4 million—more as individuals than the Dolphins, Chargers, or Bengals have in total.
With nearly one-third of their cap space devoted to players who won’t be on the roster this fall, the Bucs have been unable to retain key defenders such as safety Mike Edwards, lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches, and corner Sean Murphy-Bunting, all of whom signed elsewhere after their contracts expired. They were able to retain star corner Jamel Dean, their best young player, but they added barely any talent, bringing in Baker Mayfield and Chase Edmonds for relative pennies. The failing grade for improving the roster is self-explanatory, but their other grades are better because they found a way to re-sign Dean and take a cheap flier on Mayfield, and their plan is obvious: reminisce about the 2020 Lombardi Trophy, yank off the financial Band-Aid, and prepare for 2024.
A few quibbles: The Bucs signed Greg Gaines, who Joe will argue is much better than “Nacho.” And outside of the 2020 playoffs, Sean Murphy-Bunting has been, well, inconsistent when he was able to stay on the field.
Yeah, Joe gets the argument that signing Baker Mayfield means you are not shooting for the stars. But Joe will also add it’s a helluva investment. If Mayfield recaptures what he displayed in Los Angeles, that’s a helluva smart play and then the Bucs likely have their quarterback for the next few years.
But yeah, just about everyone this side of Todd Bowles would agree: Better to tank for Caleb Williams (#CollapseForCaleb) than to be stuck in quarterback purgatory.
March 29th, 2023 at 4:19 am
Yeah not too worried, look to see if Trask or Baker is the guy and go from there. Get ready for next year. Gonna be a rough year, but I trust Jason Licht.
March 29th, 2023 at 4:47 am
Our offensive talent (such of it that wasn’t on the injured list) was badly misused last year imo, I’m of the belief a competent OC will at LEAST put us in the top half of the league. ( Can’t help but notice BL hasn’t even gotten a job mowing yards yet)
March 29th, 2023 at 4:47 am
Thankfully those aren’t the only options. Collapse/tank talk is for LOSERS.
March 29th, 2023 at 4:53 am
Everytime I read this, it is like nails on a chalkboard. I understand the thought process behind it, but I can’t stand the thought of losing on purpose. No integrity. Makes me ill.
March 29th, 2023 at 4:55 am
Dear gawd what filter did I trigger now? The Integrity Filter?
March 29th, 2023 at 5:22 am
I think Joe bought his software from a Nigerian prince, the strangest words set it off
March 29th, 2023 at 5:22 am
But yeah, just about everyone this side of Todd Bowles would agree: Better to tank for Caleb Williams (#CollapseForCaleb) than to be stuck in quarterback purgatory.
^^^^^^^
Wrong answer…Maybe for weak-minded quitters.
March 29th, 2023 at 5:28 am
I BELIEVE THE BUCCANEERS & JASON LIGHT ARE GOING ABOUT THINGS THE RIGHT WAY..I BELIEVE RE-SIGNING AKEEM HICKS TO BE A FAVORABLE IDEA..THE OL & SECONDARY ARE OUR BIGGEST CONCERNS RIGHT NOW..IMO..HOPEFULLY WE GET A BLUE CHIP LINEMAN, SAFETY & A LOCKDOWN CORNER IN THIS DRAFT..ZYON McCULLUM NEEDS TO STEP UP BIG THIS YEAR..A STRONG SAFETY IS A PRIORITY TO FREE UP ANTOINE WINFIELD JR TO ROAM AROUND MORE & GET SOME INTERCEPTIONS..OUR SUCCESS IN THIS DRAFT IS CRUCIAL FOR US..B.ROBINSON THE RB WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION IF POSSIBLE..,SO MANY HOLES TO FILL THIS YEAR,IT’S MIND BOGGLING..GOOD LUCK JASON,BA & CO…WE”RE GOING TO NEED A LOT OF IT..
March 29th, 2023 at 6:10 am
Coherent plan should be C I mean Todd Bowles is head coach.
March 29th, 2023 at 6:26 am
Biggest addition could be our new O.C. Canales. We got 100 times better when Lefty was left out the building. If Trask turns out to be something, or Baker becomes come back player of the year, Licht will look like a genius. I say we beat last years record with 9, or 10 wins. Excited to see the 2023 Bucs.
March 29th, 2023 at 6:30 am
Football Outsiders are just stupid for grading a C for Bucs in free agency!
March 29th, 2023 at 6:36 am
This year reminds me of my teenage years
Back when my rose colored live for my Bucs let me believe guys like Vince Workman and Ian Beckles were quality NFL players not bottom rung hanger one that they really were
You know, names like Lars Tate, Pete Pierson, Bruce Hill, the list could go on forever
Todd reminds me of Leeman Bennet and Richard Williamson
Everyone just be quiet and pretend that Chase Edmunds is a difference maker
Ok…..
This season is gonna suck and we will not “win” until Bowles is gone
March 29th, 2023 at 6:44 am
There’s Always Next Year!
It’s our team’s battle cry for nearly 50 years!
with only a couple of exceptions. We have been so consistent with this my
Family uses the acronym T.A.N.Y and is on the back of our boat with the Bucs flag.
March 29th, 2023 at 6:53 am
You give the “Plan” an A but low grades for executing the plan? Makes no sense.
March 29th, 2023 at 6:59 am
Jamel Dean, best young player. I don’t see it.
I don’t think Caleb is all that either.
March 29th, 2023 at 7:25 am
We pay a price for getting younger……much younger…..the difference in age from 2022 and 2023 will be staggering.
Brady, Rudolph, Brate, Julio, Bernard, Lenny, D Smith, Mason, Gabbert, Succop, Hicks, Ryan Gholston……these are older players no longer on the roster.
March 29th, 2023 at 7:35 am
How many players will survive pre season uninjured? Bowles Curse.
March 29th, 2023 at 7:57 am
@Tommy Mordue
Are you using all caps just to irritate. I was going to read your post but just couldn’t do it. I will just skip over it from now on.
March 29th, 2023 at 8:05 am
The overall plan is good and that is to bring us back to relevance in 2024. We are making moves in that direction, but we couldn’t execute much this year due to cap restraints.
Free agency seems to be graded more on the number of big ticket players as opposed to how much you improve the team
March 29th, 2023 at 8:06 am
*Big ticket players, you acquire.
March 29th, 2023 at 8:30 am
Ow, my eyes! Can we get the algorithm to filter out CAPS LOCK?
March 29th, 2023 at 8:31 am
The draft is going to come and go, so these grades subject to change. New league year hasn’t even been underway for a month, but I get that it’s the offseason and PFO needs content.
March 29th, 2023 at 8:41 am
“If Mayfield recaptures what he displayed in Los Angeles, that’s a helluva smart play…” – Joe
so a 60% losing record is the best we can hope for. Got it.
March 29th, 2023 at 8:45 am
Delusional we don’t have to tank and lose on purpose we have Bowles and the head idiot Licht that did not fire him and probably won’t fire him after a horrible 2023 thats coming him and the Glazers will tell Licht we will give him a pass in 2023.
March 29th, 2023 at 8:46 am
The Bucs should not loose on purpose, but they are doing the right thing in taking the cap hit this year so they will be in a very good position to greatly improve the roster next year.
March 29th, 2023 at 8:47 am
Brandon Jeff, as a general rule I skip over entirely his posts in all caps. And I roll my eyes each time I see it. Talk about a lack of self-awareness.
March 29th, 2023 at 8:55 am
Don’t have to worry about tanking for Caleb he doesn’t want to play for the Bucs!
March 29th, 2023 at 9:17 am
Actually, the F grade on improved roster is probably correct. How can any team lose their Hall of Fame bound quarterback and replace him with a couple of guys who are not yet proven commodities be said prospectively to have improved our roster?
Now, this does not mean that the offense cannot and will not play better than last season. If either of our rostered quarterbacks plays well under the new Canales offense, and if Licht manages to fix our offensive line, our offense WILL play better this season than last. But nobody can make that as a prediction – it is only a plausible outcome.
March 29th, 2023 at 10:01 am
BUCS MOTTO: “WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR”
Funny Early post I made stated Bucs fan only hope is to look at 2024 draft
March 29th, 2023 at 10:09 am
Steven007, yes, I was hoping to get the point across that we don’t read the all caps posts then maybe he would stop.
But then again, he may be doing it on purpose. That, or as you said, he may be just oblivious.
March 29th, 2023 at 10:27 am
Whole article was total clickbait.
The moment we lose Tom Brady our plan is an F because he was the goat. Doesn’t matter what other moves we would make in free agency.
That being said I really like the direction the team is moving in an attempt to shed salary cap and additionally make the team younger. If you look all the signings so far and resignings so far (with the exception of Levante David who hopefully retires as a buccaneer), are all players under the age of 28. If you look at all the guys that we have let go in free agency they are all players over the age of 28 and most of them over the age of 30.
This will mean that hopefully between this year’s draft class next year’s draft class and improved salary cap situation that we could go on and be competitive again for a few more years before our next group of top players are past their prime.
March 29th, 2023 at 11:19 am
For those people saying they can’t stand the thought of tanking for Caleb, have they watched him play? Dude is going to be a beast at the next level and though I do like baker Caleb is going to be beyond that
March 29th, 2023 at 11:51 am
Jameis, Mariota, Darnold, Wilson, Manziel, Rosen, so many others were gonna be the ONE. How much would it suck to throw away a season for a qb who turns out to be a bust?
March 29th, 2023 at 12:21 pm
You folks realize that if our offense is AVERAGE next season… even in the high teens, it will be a huge improvement over last season’s awful offense led by the GOAT? I don’t care who is in charge of your offense, bad is bad. The 20th ranked offense paired with a top 10 defense will get us in division championship contention.
March 29th, 2023 at 2:11 pm
Bucs fans know that Bloweszo could take the 1985 Bears and turn them into the 1985 Buccaneers. The football outsiders are making a moot point.
March 29th, 2023 at 2:35 pm
Finally some realism on JBF. We can handle the truth Joe. We know what we’re in for.
Let’s get some good young players in here and have a solid developmental year. Maybe we can win a few games towards the end and make it exciting.
March 29th, 2023 at 5:40 pm
The plan, which gets an unannounced grade, is to have Traskfield be QB1.
March 30th, 2023 at 5:46 am
The biggest problem for the Bucs is Todd is not bad but not good enough. He can flirt the Glazers with a play off for every 2 years,which has been happening in the Post-TB Patriots.